California Candidates Pressed on Affordability Crisis Impacting Food Prices

Moderators Kristin Olsen-Cate and Buddy Mendes call for pragmatic solutions to support agriculture and rural communities

Mar. 30, 2026 at 4:35am

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As California gubernatorial candidates prepare to take the stage at a forum in Fresno, they will be asked to address the issue voters consistently rank as their top concern: affordability. This conversation must focus on the rising cost of putting food on the table, which is straining families across the state. With decades of experience in public service in California's Central Valley, the moderators have seen how well-intentioned policies can ripple through communities in unintended ways, driving up food prices and placing additional burdens on the very communities they are meant to support.

Why it matters

California is the most productive agricultural state in the nation, yet Californians pay some of the highest food and grocery prices in the country. Farmers face mounting pressures including rising input costs, unreliable water supplies, labor challenges, and a complex web of regulations that have increased by over 1,300% since 2006. These pressures ripple across the supply chain, affecting processors, distributors, retailers, and ultimately, consumers. When the agricultural economy weakens, the effects show up in lost jobs, reduced local investment, and fewer opportunities for families in the Central Valley, which faces some of the highest poverty rates in the state.

The details

Nearly 98% of California farms are family-owned, and the number of farms in the state has declined by 30% since 1997 as margins tighten and farmers face difficult decisions about what to plant and whether to continue farming. These pressures don't stop at the farm gate, but instead ripple across the supply chain, making it more expensive to grow, process, distribute, and ultimately buy food in California.

  • The California gubernatorial candidate forum will take place on April 1, 2026 in Fresno.
  • Since 2006, the cumulative cost of regulatory mandates on California farmers has increased by more than 1,300%.

The players

Kristin Olsen-Cate

A partner at California Strategies, board member at The Maddy Institute, and former state Assemblymember and Stanislaus County supervisor.

Buddy Mendes

The District 4 Supervisor for Fresno County and a lifelong family farmer.

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What they’re saying

“If candidates are serious about tackling affordability, it will require leadership that pairs pragmatism with political will, taking a clear-eyed look at how decisions affect the cost of living and the strength of rural communities.”

— Kristin Olsen-Cate, Partner, California Strategies

“The future of the Central Valley depends on getting this right. So does access to affordable, locally grown food for millions of Californians.”

— Buddy Mendes, Fresno County Supervisor, Lifelong Family Farmer

What’s next

The upcoming candidate forum in Fresno on April 1, 2026 will be an important opportunity for voters to hear the gubernatorial candidates' plans to address the affordability crisis impacting food prices and rural communities in California.

The takeaway

This issue highlights the need for pragmatic, balanced policymaking that considers the real-world economic impacts on California's agricultural sector and the communities that depend on it. Voters are demanding actionable solutions, not just broad commitments, to keep food accessible and affordable for all Californians.